Slat conveyor apparatuses that have a vertical circulation path in which a conveyance path part and a return path part linearly arranged one above the other are connected at end portions thereof by course change path parts, to convey subjects to be conveyed by the conveyance path part while moving a large number of slats along the vertical circulation path, eliminate the need to provide a separate return path part for empty carts, thereby resulting in space savings in a factory.
One of the slat conveyor apparatuses is configured such that the course change path parts are made movable without inverting the upper and lower sides of the slats to reduce the diameter of front and back sprockets over which the endless chains are extended, thereby to decrease the height of the apparatus and eliminate expensive pitting work (excavation of the ground) (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
At the slat conveyor apparatus described in Patent Document 1, coupling pins protruded inward from right and left sides endless chains are inserted into connection holes on the front sides of right and left surfaces of the slats while the slats move on the conveyance path part to connect rotatably the slats to the endless chains, and a plate-like frame is separated from the floor surface by a larger distance than the thickness of the slats, and the slats are moved one by one from the conveyance path part to the return path part without inverting the upper and lower sides of the slats at a front-side end portion downstream of the direction of conveyance of the plate-like frame, and the slats are moved one by one from the return path part to the conveyance path part without inverting the upper and lower sides of the slats at a back-side end portion upstream of the direction of conveyance of the frame.
There is also a two-tier parking apparatus configured to move palettes on which automobiles are placed without inverting the upper and lower sides of the palettes along a vertical circulation track formed by an upper straight track, a lower straight track, and course change tracks connecting the end portions of the former tracks, wherein the front ends of the palettes are pivotally supported at chain levers that are attached at regular intervals to endless chains so as to protrude outward, guide rollers attached to the back ends of the palettes are run on guide rails provided along the endless chains, and a feed lever is rotated to convey the palettes while supporting a shaft provided to the palettes to move up and down the palettes held horizontally on the course change tracks (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).